Water heating unit



Nov. 23, 1937.

C. TOMPSON ET AL WATER HEATING UNIT Filed Oct. 2, 1936 2 She ets-Sheet l Nov. 23, 1937.

c. TOMPSON ET AL WATER HEATING UNIT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 2, 1956 IN VENT OR 5607' a Egy y arezzae 7 0/7 Patented Nov. 23, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WATER HEATING UNIT Application October 2, 1936, Serial No. 103,652

(or. 122 e2) s Claimsi heating unit in winter to a unit for supplying cooled and conditioned air in thesummer.

A common objection to many of these units now in commercial use is that a special unit deriving .its heat from a source other than the furnace is required to supply the hot water for domestic or other consumption.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a hot water heater that may be, if desired, readily associated with existing furnaces, and especially hot air furnaces, in such a manner that the heat for the hot water heater will be derived directly from the furnace.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a hot water heater that may be readily associated with the fire chamber of a furnace in such a way that it constitutes a closure for the top thereof, and that when so associated makes possible a particularly compact and ,e'fiicient combined air and water heating unit.

Inrealizing the objects above outlined, and other objects that will hereinafter appear, there is provided as a feature of the present invention a hot water heating unit capable of being readily associated with existing furnaces, especially hot air furnaces, the heater having a boiler adapted to be inserted in the fire chamber of the furnace and also having a steam head connected to the boiler, the latter having within it a separate water heating element adapted to be placed in a line with a source of water supply and a hot water outlet.

Still another feature of the invention resides in the provision of a water heater containing the feature above outlined and including means for 40 enabling a ready circulation of water between the steam head and the boiler.

Other and more specific objects and features residing in advantageous forms, combinations and relations of parts will hereinafter appear.

9 In the drawings, which show the present preferred embodiments of my invention: Figure 1 is a side view showing the water heater provided by the present invention, associated with a hot air furnace of a type now in general use, portions of the furnace being broken away forthe purpose of a more clear illustration.

Fig. 2 is a front view of the furnace and hot water heater shown in Fig. 1. Fig. MS a top view showing in detail the cooling radiator which maybe associated with the hot water heater.

Fig. 4 is a top view of the hot water heater, the upperportion of the steam head thereof being partially broken away for the purpose of illus- 5 trating the heating coil therein.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5--5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a side view of the hot water heater looking in the direction of the arrow 6 in Fig. 4, the walls of the heater being partially removed for the purpose of a more clear illustration.

Before describing the present improvements and mode of operation thereof in detail it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the details of construction and arrangement of parts shown in the accompanying drawings, which are merely illustrative of the present preferred embodiments, since the invention is capable of other embodiments, and the phraseol- 2o ogy employed is for the purpose of description and not of limitation- Referring moreparticularly to the drawings there is shown, for the purposes of illustration, a hot air furnace 20 of a type now in general use having a main body shell 2! defining a fire 5 chamber 22. A flanged opening 23, which may be closed by a fire door, not shown, enables a ready access to an oil burner, or other conventional heat producing source commonly positioned within the main body shell. A flanged opening 24 in the body shell 2| and positioned below the opening 23 for the fire door is provided for creating a draft for the fire, while still another flanged opening 25 is provided above the fire door opening to enable a cleaning out of the upper portion of the fire chamber.

Connected to the body shell 2| by a flue pipe 26 having communication with the upper portion of the fire chamber 22 is a conventional flue box 21. This flue box includes at least one air passage 28 jacketed by an enclosed chamber 29 having an inlet opening 30 adjacent itstop plate 3| in communication with the flue pipe 26, and having a flanged outlet 32 adjacent its bottom plate 33 for communication with a chimney or the like. The heated air from the jacketed passage 28 may be carried by suitable and conventional conduits, not shown, to any desired part of the building to be heated.

Inthe usual construction, hot air furnaces of this general type have a top plate, integral or otherwise, serving as a closure for the top of the fire chamber, and no means is provided, deriving its heat from the furnace, for heating water for .65

washing, drinking and other similar purposes. Because of this fact it is customary to provide an auxiliary gas or electric heater with a special storage tank for supplying the needed hot water.

To eliminate the inconvenience resulting from the above mentioned practice and to enable a more economical supply of hot water, the present invention provides a novel hot water heating unit 34 which may be readily associated with a hot air furnace, for example, of the general type illustrated. If the association is to be made with a furnace already constructed, it is merely necessary to remove the top of the: furnace and to associate the water heater with the furnace in such a way that it, instead of the removed top plate, constitutes a closure for the top of the fire chamber 22. If the heater is of a size smaller than the top of the furnace, then only a portion of the top plate of the furnace should be cut out or otherwise removed.

The hot water heater 34 that may be thus readily associated with a hot air furnace includes a boiler 35, which, as illustrated may have a -plu-, rality of vertical fire tubes 36 therein to enable a more efiicient transfer of heat from the hot air and gases within the fire chamber 22. Preferably, and as shown, the boiler 35 is of such a width that when it is placed within the fire chamber it is spaced from the side walls constituting the shell 2| of the furnace.

Spaced upwardly from the boiler 35 is a steam head 31, which is made of such a sizeiand shape that it will, when associated with the furnace 20, serve as a closure for the top thereof, :ln the drawings the steam head 31, having a bottom plate 31 with a fiat outer perimetric section providing an annular shoulder, isshown as of generally cylindrical shape and of such a size that it conforms exactly with the outside dimensions of the body shell 2|. If the horizontal cross sectional dimensions of the body shell be in excess of that of the steam head 31 then only a portion of the top plate of the furnace need be removed, it being sufficient if an opening is made that will permit the boiler 35 being dropped into the fire chamber 22. If the cross sectional dimensions of the body shell be less than the steam head, then the outer portions of the head will overhang the body shell. A particularly satisfactory closure may be had by welding the bottom plate 31' of the steam head to the furnace. It is thus seen that the unit is capable of use with furnaces of various sizes, both larger and smaller than the diameter of the steam head, and that the plate 31, in addition to serving as the bottom of the steam head, seems also as a closure for the top of the furnace with which the unit is associated.

A plurality of water tubes 38, connecting the top of the boiler 35'with the bottom of the steam head 31, serve to support the boiler relative to the steam head, to properly position the boilerin the fire chamber 22, and to enable the heated water in the boiler to rise into the steam head. A connection 39 between the steam head 31 and the lower portion of the boiler 35, passing outside of head 31 and to prevent pounding and knocking in the unit.

As shown, the connection 39 comprises a pipe 40 connected through an upper T-coupling 4| with a connection to the steam head 31, and through a lower T-coupling 43 with a connection 44 to the boiler 35. A three-way valve 45, preferably located in the lower T-coupling 43, is selectively movable to one position permitting either a free circulation of water between the steam head and the boiler or enabling a concurrent draining of the steam head and the boiler through a pet cock 46 in the lower T-coupling, and to a second position, as shown in Fig. 5, enabling a replenishing of the water in the boiler 35 and steam head 31 through a. pipe 41.

Positioned within the steam head 31, and in the lower'portion thereof in order that it may be completely covered with the water 48, which, preferably as shown, is maintained at a level substantially "one. half the height of the steam head to leave a steamspace thereabove, is a water heatingelement 49 adapted to be placed in a line with a source of water supply and with a hot water outlet. A gage 50 maybe conveniently provided on the side of the steam head to indicate the level of the water therein.

The especially advantageous water heating element 49 provided by the present invention is formed as a coil composed of connected upper and lower spirals 52 and 53. The ends 54 and 55 of the coil may be conveniently passed through suitable openings 56 and 51 in a plate 58 secured to the steam head 31 by a plurality of bolts 59 and serving as a closure for the flanged opening 69 in one side thereof. One end 54 of the coil 5| may be utilized as an inlet and connected to a source of water supply and the other end 55 of the coil 5| may be connected to a pipe leading to a hot water outlet, for example a faucet in the bath room or kitchen of a house.

Because of the double spiral coil used an especially eflicient heat transfer is made possible from the hot water in the steam head 31 to the water in the coil 5|. It is to be understood, however, that water heating elements of forms other than the coil shown may be used, even though not making possible as efficient a transfer of heat. Also, because of the use of two water circuits in the heater, one to be heated directly by the hot gas in the fire chamber and the other to be indirectly heated through the medium of the first, a clean and fresh supply of hot water may be drawn whenever it is so desired. Moreover, by the indi rect heating of the water in the water heating element 49 a better control over the temperature of the water therein is made possible. If it is deemed advisable to clean or replace the coil 5| at any time, it is merely necessary'to remove the plate.

If desired, in order to prevent excessive overheating and to prevent the building up of a dangerous steam pressure in the steam head when the furnace is being forced on particularly cold days or when only a small amount of hot water is being used, a booling radiator or condenser 6| of a conventional type as shown may be employed. A pipe connection 62 between the upper portion of the head 31 and the radiator 6| located thereabove carries the steam from the head 31 while a pipe connection 63 carries the condensed steam back to the boiler through the upper T-coupling 4| and the connection 39.

The radiator 6|, which comprises a coil of pipe 64 carried by a frame 65 and having a plurality of heat conducting fins 66 thereon, is positioned at a slight angle so that the water condensed therein may more readily pass back into the boiler.

In the operation of the hot water heater 34 when it is associated with a furnace in the manner illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the hot air and gases rising upwardly in the fire chamber pass around the boiler 35 and through the fire tubes 36 therein and then pass through the flue 26 into the flue box 2! where air is heated for distribution to various parts of a dwelling or other structure to be heated. The Water in the boiler 35 thus heated by the hot air and gases in the fire chamber 22 rises through the water tubes 38 and into the steam head 31 to heat the water contained in the coil 5!. The circulation of hot water between the steam head and the boiler, made possible by the connection 39, serves, as heretofore pointed out, to equalize the temperatures in the boiler and in the steam head and to prevent pounding and knocking therein.

It is thus seen that the present invention provides an especially efiicient water heater, and one which may with facility be incorporated in existing furnaces, especiallyhot air furnaces, to eliminate the need for the use of special and costly auxiliary and separately heated units'for supplying hot water.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of this invention and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A hot water heater adapted to be associated with a hot air furnace and to form a closure for the top thereof, comprising a boiler; a steam head spaced upwardly from said boiler and having a flanged opening at one side thereof, adapted to be secured to. said furnace, and to form a closure for the top thereof; a removable plate closing said flanged opening; a water tube connecting the boiler and the steam head; and a water heating element in the lower portion of said steam head having an inlet portion and an outlet portion extending through said removable plate for connection to a water supply and a hot water outlet respectively.

2. A hot water heater adapted to be associated with a hot air furnace and to form a closure for the top thereof, comprising a boiler, having tubes therein for the passage of hot air and gases from the furnace; a steam head spaced upwardly from said boiler, adapted to be secured to said furnace, and to form a closure'for the top thereof; a water tube connecting the boiler and the steam head; and a water heating element in the lower portion of said steam head having an inlet and outlet exterior said head adapted to be placed in a line with a water supply and a hot water outlet.

3. A hot water heater adapted to be associated with a hot air furnace having a fire chamber therein, said heater comprising a boiler; a steam head spaced upwardly from said boiler; a plate having a fiat outer perimetric section, serving as a closure for the bottom of said steam head adapted also to form a closure for the top of said furnace; a water tube connecting the upper portion of said boiler to the lower portion of said head; and a heating coil in said steam head having an inlet for connection to a water supply and an outlet for connection to a hot water outlet.

4. A hot water heater adapted to be associated with a hot air furnace having a fire chamber therein and to form a closure for the top thereof, said heater comprising a boiler; a steam head spaced upwardly from said boiler; a water tube connecting the lower portion of said head with the upper portion of said boiler; a connection between said head and the lower portion of said boiler; a three-way valve in said connection, selectively movable to positions to replenish the water in said head and said boiler and to circulate water therebetween; and a heating coil in said steam head adapted to be placed in a line with a water supply and a hot water outlet.

5. In a heating unit, the combination of a hot air furnace having a fire chamber therein; and a hot water heater, said heater comprising a boiler positioned in said fire chamber, a steam head spaced upwardly from said boiler, and secured to I said furnace to form a closure for the top of said fire chamber, a water tube connecting said boiler and said steam head, and a heating coil in-said steam head, adapted to be placed in a line with a water supply and a hot water outlet.

6. In a heating unit, the combination of a hot air furnace having a fire chamber therein; and a hot water heater forming a closure for the top of said chamber, said heater comprising a boiler positioned in said chamber, having a fire tube therein, a steam head spaced upwardly from said boiler and having a flanged opening at one side thereof, a removable plate closing said opening, a water tube connecting said head and said boiler, and a heating coil in said steam head, having an inlet and an outlet portion extending through said removable plate for connection to a watersupply and a hot water outlet respectively.

'7. In a heating unit, the combination of a hot air furnace having a fire chamber therein; and a hot water heater forming a closure for the top of said chamber, said heater comprising a boiler ciated with hot air furnaces having a fire chamber therein, said heater comprising a boiler; a steam .head above the boiler adapted to receive water therefrom, the water being normally maintained at alevel below the top of the steam head to leave a steam space therein; a plate having a fiat outer perimetric section, serving as the bottom of the steam head and adapted to form a closure for the top of furnaces of various sizes; a water connection between the upper portion of the boiler and the lower portion of the steam head; a connection between the lower portion of the boiler and I the steam head for the circulation of water therebetween; and a heating coil in the steam head and below the normal water level therein, having an inlet and an outlet for connection to a water supply and a hot water outlet respectively.

CLARENCE TOMPSON.

-GEORGE RAY. 

